Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
A Druid With a Camera

A Druid With a Camera

Last updated on: April 26, 2015 at 3:00 pm by John Beckett

A Druid With a Camera 2015-04-25T16:43:23-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

Most of the uncredited photos on this blog are mine. Things like book covers and movie posters obviously aren’t. Some were taken by Cathy, my profile shots are professional pictures by Tesa Morin, and some were taken when I handed my camera to a friend (most recently Cynthia and Tommy Elf) and said “here, shoot a few pictures while I talk.” But the vast majority are mine.

I’ve always had an interest in photography, but I never took it seriously until I started blogging. Pictures help illustrate what I’m writing about and they quite literally add color to the page. And they’re critical for getting noticed on social media. Necessity is the mother of invention and also of learning – I’ve learned to be a better photographer because I wanted better pictures for Under the Ancient Oaks.

Some time ago I wrote on Photography and the Sacred. That post explored the question of when you should take pictures of sacred sites and events and when you should keep the camera turned off. Today I’d like to talk about what I’ve learned from photography.

Dinosaur Valley, Glen Rose, Texas

I’ve learned to see things as they are. I shoot a lot of Nature pictures: trees, flowers, fields, rocks, streams, animals – you name it, I’ll take a picture of it. If I’m in a new place I’m always thinking “what can I use on the blog?”

There have been many times when I’ve downloaded pictures from my camera and been disappointed: the colors don’t look right, or they’re washed out in the bright sun, or the sky looks bland. I used to think I needed a better camera. But what I’ve found is that the vast majority of the time the camera is capturing the colors exactly as they are in Nature. The colors look bland because they aren’t artificially enhanced like what you see in advertising. They aren’t “perfect” like you see on TV.

Sometimes what we’re told is “right” isn’t. Nature is beautiful just as it is.

Stonehenge – 2007

I’ve learned to look at the whole picture. Shoot anything other than a posed shot in front of an artificial background and you’re going to have something in the way. The pictures in A Year at Stonehenge are so good in part because of the skill of photographer James O. Davies and in part because they show the stones in a variety of natural settings. But they’re also good because Davies had access to Stonehenge at times when the public wasn’t allowed in – there are no people in his photos! Cathy and I went early, but I have no pictures of the circle without other people in them.

People, other animals, trees – they get in the way of the “perfect” picture, but they’re part of the whole picture… and they have as much right to be there as you do. What else is in the whole picture that you don’t see until it gets in your way?

I’ve learned the importance of viewpoint. I used this example last year in a post titled Rewilding: Privilege and Reality. I took this picture less than 50 feet from the alligator. Pretty dangerous, right? Except here’s what you didn’t see – I took it from the safety of the boardwalk. The fact that you’re isolated from the alligators doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous.

Just like the fact that you’re isolated from fracking or from militarized police doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous either.

I’ve learned how to make things disappear. But it’s an illusion, and it’s a lot of work.

I don’t have Photoshop – it’s too expensive, and it’s available only as a monthly subscription. I use GIMP, which is free, and has most of the same capabilities. I’ve learned how to do basic photo editing.

Here’s a photo I took at the Mound of the Hostages at Tara in Ireland last year. When I wanted to use it on a flyer I didn’t want the gate in the picture, so I took it out. It was a fairly simple edit, but it still took a bit of work. More complicated edits can take hours of work.

And if you go to Ireland and try to go into the Mound, you’ll find the gate is still in your way.

We can make packaging, old consumer goods, and other trash disappear, but it’s still there. There is no “away” to throw things.

The stereotypical tourist with a camera is a stereotype for a reason – it’s easy to get caught up in taking pictures and miss out on experiencing a new place or an event. That’s something I have to be mindful of all the time. But photography has taught me a few things I might not have learned otherwise.

For camera geeks only. I’ve had several cameras over the years, as photographic technology has advanced. Right now I occasionally use Cathy’s point & shoot and sometimes I use my iPhone (which takes very good pictures if you have enough light), but my main camera is a Canon EOS Rebel T1i with the 18-55mm kit lens. I also have a 55-250mm for long shots, and an f/1.8 50mm prime I bought for low light photography. Turns out it’s too long for what I want it for, but when I have the time to set up a shot, it works beautifully. I desperately want a full frame camera with an L-series lens, but right now I have other financial priorities.

Spiritual Practice

Mound of the Hostages

Previous Post

April 22, 2015

Beltane – A Solitary Ritual

Next Post

April 28, 2015 Many Ways To Make A Good Marriage

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Paul Moses Peter James